Tigers Blank Ohio Northern to Force Title Game

May 10, 2009

May 10, 2009, Greencastle, Ind. — Second-seed and 15th-ranked DePauw forced a final elimination game in the NCAA Division III Women's Softball Championship first round with a 4-0 win over top-seed and fourth-ranked Ohio Northern.

The 32-8 Tigers and 38-4 Polar Bears will square off later this afternoon for the right to compete in the eight-team Division III finals at Montclair, N.J.

Megan Soultz allowed just a first inning single on the way to her third shutout of the tournament and her second one-hitter.

The Tigers got off to a quick start when Emma Minx singled with two outs in the first and moved to second on Rachel Gill's walk. Jen Kosinski singled to right scoring Minx.

In the fourth, Kelly Schwerzler led off with an infield single and moved to second when Carolyn Bartlett reached on a sacrifice bunt after the throw to second was late. Rachel MacBeth's sacrifice bunt advanced the runners to second and third and Brianne Weeks' single scored both.

Minx led off the seventh with a single, moved to second on Gill's sacrifice bunt and scored on Ashlee Anton's single through the right side.

Soultz improved to 29-8 and allowed just four Polar Bears to reach base. She was the first pitcher to shut out Division III's third-highest scoring offense this year.

Minx collected three of DePauw's 10 hits, while Kosinski added two. Liz Decima had the only hit for the Polar Bears.